Home and Away: A University Brings Food to the Table – Recipes and Remembrances from East Tennessee State University has received regional and national recognition through two higher education award programs.
The book won an Award of Excellence in the Institutional Relations Projects category from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, District III.
Fred Sauceman, the book’s creator and executive assistant to the president for university relations at ETSU, said the award was given in honor of the book as a community and outreach project.
In addition, Home and Away received three awards from Admissions Marketing Report. Two of the awards, a Silver Award in the Publication/External category and a Merit Award for Other Publications, were given to honor the book as a publication and for content, Sauceman said.
But, Sauceman is proudest of the Merit Award in Total Public Relations Programs.
“It is honoring the book as a total public relations project,” he said.
Home and Away was published in October 2000 by ETSU with support from Quebecor World in Kingsport, which printed and bound the book with no charge to ETSU in exchange for underwriting credit on WETS-FM, ETSU’s public radio station.
The original idea for the book was that it would be a cookbook: an idea suggested by Sauceman’s friend, Susan Antkiewicz.
The book evolved into a collection of more than 1000 recipes, stories, reminiscences, foodlore and regional history contributed by approximately 500 individuals with a current or former connection to ETSU.
Nationally known contributers include singer Jimmy Buffet, novelist Pat Conroy and former President Jimmy Carter.
Sauceman said as he began compiling the names of those he wanted to contribute to the book, he wanted it to be more than a “spiral-bound cookbook.”
“Connection is really the theme of the book and food as a unifying force in people’s lives,” he said.
Sauceman said that in promoting the book, he tried to dispel notions that only cooks and those from ETSU would want the book. The book has found a large and diverse audience.
He said that the book has sold so well – approximately $45,000 worth have been sold since the October release – that he plans to produce a supplement which will be used as a promotional tool. The supplement will enable him to include submissions from those who saw the book and told him they wished that they could have been included.
“This is the most rewarding thing I’ve done by far,” Sauceman said, adding that it was also the most massive project he had ever been involved in.
Proceeds from the book will benefit WETS-FM.
The book can be purchased at area bookstores or by calling WETS-FM at (423) 439-6440.

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